Weathering Resistance of Post-consumer Glass and Sawdust Reinforced Polyester Composites

Weathering resistance test was carried out to determine the ability of post-consumer glass and sawdust reinforced polyester composite to withstand outdoor service conditions using water absorption (WA) and tensile properties. 16 samples were investigated consisting of various percentage by weight of post-consumer glass, sawdust as well as hybrid compositions. Test pieces were submerged in distilled water for 35 days and weighed on a daily basis to determine the level of absorption. Changes in tensile strength before and after water absorption were recorded and compared. Samples 5/27.5/67.5, 0/40/60, and 0/20/80 wt.% of sawdust/post-consumer glass/polyester had the lowest WA of 1.23%, 1.91%, 1.36% respectively while hybrid sample 20/20/60 wt.% had the highest WA of 7.46%. Hybrid samples 5/27.5/67.5, 7/33/60, 20/20/60 wt.% with original tensile strength of 11.60, 19.76, 10.25 MPa respectively had an improved tensile strength of 12.63, 22.84, and 12.85 MPa respectively. Generally, tensile strength increased after water absorption indicating increase in weathering resistance which suggests that the composite material can be employed as particle board for outdoor application.